How to Apply for UK Visa in Nigeria: General Requirements

Are you planning to take a trip to the UK for your holiday, for tourism, for education or for work, and you don’t have reliable information on getting a UK visa? You needn’t worry anymore; in this article, we will provide detailed and accurate information which will facilitate the processing of your visa.

A number of requirements are essential before you can start your application for a UK visa. You have to get familiar with various types of UK visas so as to know the appropriate visa for your travel plans. We will examine different types of UK visas shortly. You will need a valid international passport which should have a validity period of a minimum of thirty days after your intended trip to the United Kingdom. Visit any immigration office nearest to you to get the passport; you may also apply online for it. Now, let’s proceed and look at the nitty-gritty of this write-up to know how to apply for UK Visa in Nigeria.

Types of UK Visa and Differences

A UK visa is an official document which is needed by an intending traveller to the UK for some reasons such as business, tourism, education or for permanent residency. To understand the different types of UK visa that are available in Nigeria, we will look at the short stay visa as well as long stay visa. For a short visit, what is required is a visitor’s or tourist’s visa, and such form of visas include the following:

Short-term study visa

Marriage visitor visa

Standard visitor visa (needed for a tourist)

Permitted paid engagement visa

Parent of a Tier-4 child visa.

However, for long visits, you will need the following types of visas:

Diplomatic visas for government officials on formal assignments.

Student visas (lasts for a period up to 3 years) for individuals that intend to study in the UK.

Student visas are of 3 types:

Students that intend studying for less than 6 months in the UK get a short-term study visa.

Students aged more than sixteen years that intend studying in the United Kingdom get a tier 4 (General) student visa.

Students aged between four & seventeen years that intend studying in independent schools in the UK get a tier 4 (Child) student visa.

People travelling for business or official duties are to attach these documents to their visa application:

An invitation letter

Phone numbers of your company

Physical address

Complete details of the authorized company rep.

How to Apply for UK Visa in Nigeria – UK Visa Application in Nigeria

The following steps are required for UK visa applicants from Nigeria:

Complete an online application form: You can use UK application centers sited in Abuja and Lagos to apply for the visa. Submit the required at these centers and then fill your form with ease for study and work visas or here for any other type.

Make payment for the visa type you want: After carrying out the first step, visit the website of UK immigration to know the visa type you will be applying for. The visa fees vary based on the required type of visa.

Schedule an appointment: You will get GWF number after taking the two steps above. A confirmation email will then be sent to you which will contain the location of your appointment with the application center for UK visa and the needed documents.

Attend the appointment: Go to the UK visa application center for your appointment with the necessary documents.

The processing of your visa application could last for 4 – 6 days, or longer for an applicant with a history of crime or rejection. A premium service is also available for you to get your application processed the same day for a fee. This is how to apply for UK Visa in Nigeria, drop comments below if you have any question.

UK Visa Rejection

There cases of course where a Visa application will be rejected, below are some of the reasons for this:

Not having valid passport or travel documents.

Submitting false documents or papers.

Not having enough funds.

Applicant has received a deportation order.

Applicant has a criminal history with four or more years jail time.

Overstaying a previous visit to the United Kingdom.

Not providing a genuine reason for wanting to visit the UK.

Non-compliance with all the application requirements.

Submitting fraudulent documents on a previous trip to the United Kingdom.